Los Angeles Rams finally have a consistent No. 1 receiver in Brandin Cooks

NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 4: Head Coach Sean McVay talks with Brandin Cooks #12 of the Los Angeles Rams before a game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Rams 45-35. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 4: Head Coach Sean McVay talks with Brandin Cooks #12 of the Los Angeles Rams before a game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Rams 45-35. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

After years of struggling to find a No. 1 wide receiver, the Los Angeles Rams finally have a reliable option in Brandin Cooks.

Before Sean McVay came into the picture for the Los Angeles Rams during the 2017 offseason, the receiving corps on offense was basically a joke, as the team struggled to find a reliable No. 1 option.

Two years later, that is anything but the case for the Rams when looking at how their high-powered offense is one of the best in the NFL thanks to Jared Goff having plenty of reliable weapons like Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks to work with.

Speaking of Cooks, Los Angeles pulled off one of the biggest surprises during the offseason when they decided to give up a first-round pick to the New England Patriots, especially since the team seemed like they were going to settle with Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp.

Losing Sammy Watkins in free agency seemed like a crushing blow at first when looking at how much his speed helped draw extra attention from defenders to benefit Woods and Kupp, but also deep down McVay knew the speedster was replaceable.

While Los Angeles would have been just fine with Woods and Kupp, the addition of Cooks was expected to take this offense to a whole new level, which it has. As great as it was to have Watkins in 2017, Cooks is easily an upgrade at the position, and his presence has proven to be an absolute nightmare for defenders.

With Cooks already having 964 receiving yards with five games remaining, it’s only a matter of time before he breaks the 1,000-yard mark for a fourth year in a row.

All of a sudden, Los Angeles looks like they finally have a reliable No. 1 receiver in Cooks for years to come since they were smart enough to reward him with an extension before he even suited up for a single game.

Take thing into consideration with the fact that guys like Woods and Kupp will also be capable of breaking the 1,000-yard mark for years to come as well with Cooks, there’s a reason why the Rams are viewed to be a top contender for years to come.

For a team that spent years desperately searching for improvement in the passing game, thank goodness Cooks is now part of the picture for the Rams, as this year is just the beginning of what should be a stellar time in Los Angeles.

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